Railway car coupler support



K. T. NYSTROM 2,509,988

May 30,, 1950 RAILWAY CAR COUPLER SUPPORT 2 Sheets-Sheet I Filed Nov. 29, 1946 May 39, H950 K. T. NYSTROMI 2,509,933

RAILWAY CAR COUPLER SUPPORT Filed Nov. 29, 1946 2 Sheet-Sheet 2 Patented May 30, 1950 RAILWAY CAR COUPLER SUPPORT Karl T. Nystrom, Chicago, 111., assignor to Standard Railway Equipment Manufacturing Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application November 29, 1946, Serial No. 713,178

6 Claims.

The object of the invention is to provide means in a railway car coupler support and centering device to resiliently support the coupler independently of the centering mechanism but cooperative therewith So as to resiliently support the coupler in all positions of the centering mechanism; that is, whether the coupler is in normal central position or moved laterally therefrom.

A further object is to provide means in such a device to support the coupler or its carrier independently of the resilient means upon abnormal downward pressure of the coupler.

A still further object is to provide means in such a device to regulate or adjust the height of the coupler carrier (and the coupler) from the rail of the track.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a partial front elevation and partial vertical central sectional view of a railway car striking casting with my device applied thereto, showing the parts as they would occur when the coupler is in normal central position.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

The left half of Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Figure 1.

The right half of Figure 4 is a section on line 55 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 shows the carriage by itself.

Figure 6 is an end elevation of Figure 5.

In the drawings the striking casting 2 is fixed to a railwa car in any desirable manner and the tie bar 3 is secured to the striking casting by the rivets 4. The tie bar 3 ma be cast integral with the striking casting 2 if preferred.

The coupler 5 moves longitudinally, laterally and vertically in service.

The carrier 1 is provided with lugs 8 or other means to cause it to move laterally with the coupler 5.

The carriage l and some member fixed to the car (such as the tie bar 3) are provided with spaced pairs of opposed curved surfaces lli2 and a roller I3 is interposed between each pair of surfaces, and. cooperative therewith to return the carriage Iii, carrier I and coupler to normal central position when free to do so.

The carrier 1 fits between the walls M of the carriage It so as to move laterally therewith. The carrier 1 is normally spaced above the carriage to provide a space therebetween. The under surface of the carrier 1 is provided with a bearing surface for the spring 11, or other resilient means,

such as rubber, which bearing surface is called a spring boss [8.

The carriage It is provided with a stirrup 20 depending therefrom and through the tie bar 3. The lower part 2! of the stirrup 26 (see Figures 5 and 6) is provided with an inclined bearing surface 22 for the adjusting wedge 23 which supports a separate spring seat 24. The spring s at 25 is provided with lugs 25 which engage the slots 26 in the carriage ill to hold them from lateral displacement, but permitting vertical movement of the seat 24. The coil spring l 7, or other resilient means, is interposed between the spring boss 3 and the spring seat 24 to cushion th carrier 1 upon the stirrup of the carriage [0. The carriage is formed with an aperture 21 for the spring to pass therethr-ough. In this way a, long, vertical spring may be used to obtain sufficient resilience and compression without abnormal compression of the spring which causes fatigue and failure.

The wedge 23 adjusts the height of the spring and carrier from the rail of the track (not shown) and the rivet 28 holds the wedge 23 in adjusted position.

In case of an abnormal vertical pressure upon the coupler 5 the spring ll compresses and the carrier 1 rests upon the carriage I 0. The same occurs in case of a spring failure.

In my arrangement the carrier 1 and the coupler 5 is resiliently supported continuously as the carrier and coupler move laterally.

The device is broadly applicable to coupler carriers wherein the carriage (or carrier) is swingably supported from a car part by spaced links, such as shown in Gilpin Patent No. 1,658,120 of February 7, 1928.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof, within the scope of the claims, will occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A device for positioning and resiliently supporting a coupler uponarailway car having amember fixed to the car; said device comprising a carrier arranged to move laterally and vertically with a coupler and provided with a boss, a carriage movable laterally with the carrier and spaced below the carrier, said carrier provided with a spring seat, each end of said carriage and said member provided with a pair of mutually facing oppositely disposed concavely curved surfaces and each of said pairs having a roller there- 3, between and cooperative therewith to return the coupler to normal central position when free to do so, and a resilient element extending through said carriage and interposed between said boss and said seat to cushion the carrier against vertical shocks.

2. A structure as defined in claim 1 wherein the carrier ismaintained above the carriage by said resilient element, except when the carrier engages the carriage upon a predetermined downward movement thereof and thus limits the compression of the resilient element.

3. A device for positioning and resiliently supporting a coupler upon a railway car having a member fixed to the car; said device comprising a carrier arranged to move laterally and vertically with a coupler and provided with a. boss.

a carriage movable laterally with the carrier and spaced below the carrier, said carrier provided with a spring seat, said carriage provided with means to return the coupler to normal central position when free to do so, and are'silient element extending through saidcarriage and interposed between saidboss and said seat to'cush-i'on the carrier again'stvertical shocks.

4. A devicefor resiliently supporting acoupler upona railway car having a member fixed to the car, said device comprising a carrier arranged to move laterally and vertically with the coupler, a carriage supported by said member, 1

umber and having spaced walls between which said catrier may reciprocate vertically, said carriage having a central transverse aperture therethrough, a vertically movable seat supported by said carriage, and resilient means extending through said aperture and interposed between said carrier and said seat to maintain said carrier spaced above said carriag-aexcept when. said resilientmeans is excessively loaded.

5. A structure as defined in claim 4 including means to adjust the space between the carrier and'saifdlseat. i

;6. A structure as defined in claim to 4 including means to adjust the space between the said 1 seat and carriageqsaid means comprising an adjusting wedge interposed between said seat and a part of said carriage, and means to hold said wedge in place when adjusted.

KARL T. NYSTROM.

iRAEERENCES GITED The following references are of record 'iII-the file of this patent:

UNITED PATENTS Nan e Date 1,453,936 Gunn Mayl, 1923 1,926,112 schlisinger Sept; 12, I933 2,021,570 Tangerman Nov. 19, 1 935 2,058,269 LStrid :Oct. 20,.. 15936 

